


misunderstandings

by mabi_lune



Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: M/M, and I wanted to write something cute too, canon asexual jon, everyone is awkward, hand holding, the last episode was a blessing, veryyy fluffy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-24
Updated: 2019-10-24
Packaged: 2021-01-02 16:20:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21164534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mabi_lune/pseuds/mabi_lune
Summary: Martin holds Jon's hand.Confusion ensues.





	misunderstandings

**Author's Note:**

> This is set sometime after Jon comes back to the Institute after staying at Georgie's, but really the timeline doesn't matter too much <3

“I’m not… upset, Jon,” Martin says.  
He can _feel_ the Archivist’s worry, like spiders dancing lightly on the skin of his neck. Like every little bit of Jon wants to See into him but he’s making great efforts not to pry into Martin’s mind.

Jon looks up at him, and replies “You haven’t been talking to me for a bit now, Martin.”

They are both sitting down on the wooden floor of the Archives. It had been a late night for both of them, and eventually they’d both drifted away from their desks and to the ground (to each other). They’d been reading through statements together, trying to find out more about the cases Gertrude had been working on. It had been a comfortable silence. It had almost felt like things were back to normal. Like Martin hadn’t been stalked by worms, and like Jon hadn’t been kidnapped, and like it wasn’t foolish of them to think that things could get better.

And then- and then Martin had been stupid, and he’d quietly reached over to Jon’s hand and placed his own over it on the floor. And he had felt every one of Jon’s nerves in his hand tense up, right before Jon curled his hand into a tight fist and withdrew it from beneath Martin’s. Oh.  
Martin couldn’t really say he had been surprised. He had been foolish and impulsive and very, very in love with the man sitting next to him. If he was being quite honest with himself, he’d spent the past few minutes just observing Jon, and the way his silver strands of hair fell against his brown skin, and the way he frowned ever so slightly when reading, and the way that his sweater collar hung loosely around his neck, revealing his collarbone, and the way his hand was just lying there, scarred and lovely. Stupid.

After looking at Martin for a few infinitely long seconds once he’d pulled his hand away, Jon had said, “I’m asexual.”  
He had said it like he was confessing a crime, and Martin had died a little bit at the pain in his voice.

“I…um,” he’d hesitated, “Okay.”  
And then Martin’s mind had spiraled into confusion and into a tangle of questions, before going entirely blank.

And now Jon is watching him, an expression of guilt and concern on his face. Like he’s afraid he’s hurt Martin.

Martin finally looks up.  
“Sorry, um, that was a bit… uncalled for on my part. We’ve never… I mean-” he stumbles and he feels his face getting warmer. He’s very aware his cheeks must be bright pink right now. He keeps on going anyway. “I mean- we’ve never really talked about this so… so I shouldn’t have assumed that you felt the same way that I feel. Sorry,” he says. Then he adds, praying Jon can hear the sincerity in his voice, “Really sorry. Especially if I made you uncomfortable.”

But now it’s Jon’s turn to stare at him blankly. He frowns, and it’s that same frown that Martin has seen him make a thousand times when trying to figure out a statement.

And then he finally speaks.  
“What?”

Martin bites his lip. Of course, Jon is confused. Martin feels guilt rush through him. How could he even have thought of making Jon’s life any more complicated than it already is? 

“Just um- just ignore what I did,” Martin says, “I was… I was very much out of line, so just… forget about it. I won’t do it again.”

“What?” Jon says again, as though Martin is speaking gibberish.  
Jon continues, “I’m…asexual, Martin. That doesn’t mean that I don’t… like being around you, or don’t like you holding my hand, or don’t like… you,” he pauses, “I’m sorry, too, truly.”

Martin takes a deep breath. Tries to be rational and think through what Jon’s just said. Because surely he must have heard him wrong. Surely Jon doesn’t actually like him. So Martin pushes down all of his foolish hopes and asks, “What on Earth could you possibly be sorry about, Jon?”

“For um… not being clearer, uh… about who I am- about not liking, err, sex, you know?” Jon stares down at his hands, one of which is still curled into a fist.

Oh.

Ohhh, Martin thinks.

And then he starts laughing. It starts off as a chuckle, but soon enough he’s bent over forward and clenching his stomach. 

“Martin?” Jon asks, puzzled, once Martin’s laughter had died down. Now he’s just grinning, and very flushed. Jon thinks maybe he was wrong when he said he liked Martin. After re-assessing the situation, after hearing his laugh, he thinks he might just be a little bit in love with the man too.

Martin finally catches his breath again. “Sorry. I just- you thought I was upset because you’re ace?”

“Yes- I don’t want you to feel like I’ve been leading you on, Martin. And I don’t mind, or rather I _ really _don’t mind you holding my hand, but… I feel like I’m tricking you, somehow. I don’t have much to… offer.”

“Oh god, Jon- no,” Martin says, shocked by Jon’s suggestion but still grinning, “I thought you pulled away because you didn’t like me. That’s why I was sad. But you… like me?”

Jon nods, just once, watching Martin like he’s the only person that’s ever mattered.  
Martin quickly looks away, facing the rest of the Archives. He thinks he might have a heart attack if Jon keeps on watching him like that. 

He’s still looking away, gaze intensely focused on the kettle in the kitchenette, determined not to turn back to Jon, when he says, “I don’t mind that you’re asexual, Jon. At all. I like you- love you, actually, for you. I just never thought that you, umm… that you might feel the same way. Would’ve held your hand a lot sooner if I’d known.” He chuckles.

And Martin is still looking away when the Archivist finally unclenches his hand and reaches over to Martin’s.

**Author's Note:**

> This is super different from what I usually write (I don't know how to write fluff sorry >.<) but once the idea was in my head I really just wanted to try writing it!
> 
> Let me know what you think because this is new for meee 
> 
> And Happy Ace Awareness Week <3


End file.
